'Pakistan don't deserve Babar Azam': Javeria Khan attacks PCB after batter's Test snub

Former Pakistan women’s team captain Javeria Khan lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board for dropping Babar Azam from the squad for the last two Tests against the England National Cricket Team. She said that by dropping players like Babar, they have made a mockery of themselves.

In what was the biggest news of the day, the Pakistan National Cricket Team dropped premier batter Babar Azam from the squad for the last two Tests against the England National Cricket Team. The premier batter was excluded from the squad following his horrible outing with the bat in the longest format of the game.

Babar Azam has struggled to get going in Test cricket since 2022

Babar has struggled to get going in Test cricket since 2022. The premier batter, who is touted as one of the best batters in Pakistan, hasn't registered a fifty in the format since 2022 and is averaging under 21, which gives a clear picture of his struggle as a player.

In the first Test against the England National Cricket Team, Babar mustered just 35 runs across two innings. What was concerning was that the pitch had no demons and was sheer highway, and the right-hander was beaten on both inside and outside edges in two innings.

While the Pakistan Cricket Board mentioned in an official statement that Babar Azam has been rested, many media reports suggested otherwise. It was learned that the batter was dropped as the selection committee, excluding Shan Masood and Jason Gillespie, wanted the batter to get some time off.

Systems that don't respect players like Babar Azam should not have players like him - Javeria Khan

As Babar was dropped from the team, several players from the Pakistan team, including Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali, have expressed their disappointment. The latest to join the bandwagon is the former Women's team skipper Javeria Khan.

Javeria Khan said that Pakistan's Cricket system doesn't deserve players like Babar. She highlighted that no player would be able to perform when with an exhausted mindset, leg pulling, social media trials, and pressure to perform all the time. Taking to her Twitter account, she explained:

"We have made a mockery of ourselves in the world of cricket. Systems that don't respect players like Babar Azam should not have players like him. No athlete can ever perform with an exhausted mindset, leg pulling, social media trials, and pressure to perform all the time."

Very disappointed and sad to see Pakistan cricket going down the hill - Javeria Khan

Not only did Pakistan drop Babar Azam, but also Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Afridi were dropped as well. The Pakistan Cricket Board mentioned that the above-mentioned players have been rested.

Javeria Khan believes that the decision to rest premier players should have been taken at the start of the series as it communicates a positive message. She said that the decision to drop the players depicts that the system needs to be reset. She added:

"The decision to rest your premier players is taken at the start of the series, not in the middle. Had it been taken before, it would have benefitted the players and communicated a positive msg (message)...

These four players don't need rest. It is the system that needs to reset its mindset. Very disappointed and sad to see Pakistan cricket going down the hill."

We have made a mockery of ourselves in the world of cricket.

Systems that don't respect players like Babar Azam should really not have players like him. No athlete can ever perform with an exhausted mindset, leg pulling, social media trials, and pressure to perform all the…

— Javeria Khan (@ImJaveria) October 13, 2024